My Colours: A Tribute To A Mentor

I was introduced to harness racing when I was nine years old by Lynne Gibbings. She is a long-time race fan and believes everyone should be a fan. One Sunday afternoon at the Clinton races, she took me to the horse barns and introduced me to one of the horses who had just raced, and the horse’s owner, Frank MacDonald. Needless to say, I was an immediate fan. Luckily for me, the horse barns were located just beyond my backyard and it was only a two-minute walk for me to go and visit. But I didn't want to just visit the horses, I was a curious and ambitious young girl and I wanted to be "hands on". Frank didn't seem to mind me hanging around and asking questions. He took me under his wing, and with the assistance of Lynne and Frank's wife Isabel, I quickly learned how to muck the stalls and bath, brush and feed the horses. I couldn't get enough of it.

I started helping Frank most weekend mornings. He showed me how to harness a horse and how to wrap their legs. I was sooo thrilled when he got me my first groom's license. I was only 10 years old and the most exciting New Year's Eve of my life! It felt like the most important thing to me! I was travelling the countryside with Frank to race his horses. This man taught me so much and I absolutely loved every minute I spent with him and his horses.

One of my favourite things about racing Frank's horses was getting them ready to race. Frank and his family took pride in their racehorses and showed it by having some of the brightest and cleanest wraps and equipment, much of which was sewn by Frank's wife Isabel. Typically made in orange and yellow materials, I loved that you could easily spot our racehorses by those vibrant colours.

Frank and I became so connected by the racing industry that I earned a spot as an honourary granddaughter to him and Isabel. Which is why, when Frank passed away suddenly in 2007, I couldn't return to the horse barns for nearly a year.

I did get working again as a groom for Paul Taylor's stable, and occasionally brought some fresh yellow towels to the barn, amidst Paul's red racing colours, to use on my favourite horses. Other trainers who knew me would call for me to assist with their horses on various race days. Frank had trained me well and I loved grooming all horses.

But I wanted to do even more...When I heard about the Racing Under Saddle program getting started in Ontario, I knew I had to be part of it. I had done some trail riding at Home on the Range near Londesboro. A self-taught rider by trial and error, frustration and determination, I assisted at Home on the Range by breaking the young horses and getting them accustomed to being ridden so they could be used by other visitors. I figured if I could ride an untrained horse, I could probably ride a harness horse, and I had already jumped on the back of some of the racehorses. I would joke with the owners that I was going to ride these horses some day. But I hadn't expected to be racing them!

By the end of the summer 2014, with greatly appreciated assistance from Erin Watson and her family, I had found and trained a trotter under saddle and we were ready to race. But I needed colours to ride, and I new exactly what those colours were going to be. I went to my mentor Frank's wife and asked if she could make me a jacket as she used to do for Frank. Isabel did better than that! She pulled out one of Frank's old jackets from the attic and with a few alterations it fit me perfectly! I was elated!!

I was ready to race, and wearing the orange and yellow colours that were so dear to me, and in a jacket that Frank had actually worn...it was all just too exciting and heartwarming. I had come a long way from groom to rider and I know Frank would have been so proud.

I was honoured when Frank's family members came to watch my RUS races. They comment on my Facebook pictures how happy and proud they are to see “yellow and orange flying around the tracks” again. It is a privilege to wear the MacDonald colours and to know how happy it made Frank's family to see the colours have life again! Wearing the orange and yellow in my RUS races revived his families' interest in harness racing. My own family, who had never been involved in horse racing, also began to come to the racetrack. They brought friends and co-workers who had also become interested in attending the races and were keen to support my new venture of racing under saddle. I wear these colours with pride, knowing that my racing enthusiasts can easily find me.

Natalie Elliott and Tragically Shipp (outside) dead-heat with Marit Valstad and Radical Dreamer at Mohawk

With much thanks to my sponsor, John Patterson, orange and yellow shirts were distributed to many of my fans. The new found support for racing was evident in the number of orange and yellow shirts in attendance at each RUS race I participated in. The newcomers bought programs, food and drinks. They place their $2 wagers, and some bettors would get a little more bold and put down $5! They are gradually learning to read the race programs and make wagers on the other harness races. Racing Under Saddle will never replace harness racing, but I believe it can offer an exciting complement to any racing card.

Over the past two years, I have happily participated in several under saddle races and I can honestly say that one of the few things that makes me smile more than the race itself, is hearing someone say, "Hey, aren't those Frank McDonald's colours?" There's just something special about orange and yellow!

Natalie Elliott
Clinton, Ontario

The views presented in Trot Blogs are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Standardbred Canada.